A telephone interview is a different animal. The interviewer cannot see your smile, your posture or your neat shirt. All he has is your voice. So your voice has to carry everything.
In my book I have given a full section on this because many companies use the phone to shortlist candidates, especially in the outsourcing sector where they may hire many people at a time. If you fail this round, you may never get the face-to-face one.
The good news first
You do not have to travel. You do not need a new set of clothes. You can have your notes in front of you, your highlighted resume, your project details, even typed answers to common questions. A friend can bring you a paper if you need it, but he cannot answer for you.
And remember, a smile can be heard. When you smile, your voice sounds warmer. So smile when you greet the interviewer.
Get ready before the call
- Check that the phone number in your resume is correct. If it changes, send the new number at once.
- If you give your mobile, make sure it has balance or the bill is paid, and that it is charged.
- Take the call from a quiet room. Do not take it from a public booth or from your college office. If you are working, do not take it from your current office. Tell the company your available time.
- Tell your family you are expecting an important call. Keep children and pets out of the room.
- Switch off other phones and anything else that can ring.
- Keep a record of when you sent your resume, in what way, and any reference number.
Find out the time difference if the company is overseas. Greet according to their time, and not yours. Your night may be their morning.
Fix your voice
Speaking fast works against you on the phone. The interviewer may not catch your words. The book says that radio plays go at about 120 words per minute, and suggests you aim near that. If people keep asking you to repeat, slow down.
Also leave out local words like "achcha" and "haanji" when speaking English. Even an Indian interviewer might be confused, and it sounds sloppy. Keep your tone even, with a little enthusiasm. And pause slightly after each sentence so your points can land.
Do not worry about your accent. You cannot change it overnight. If your grammar is fairly correct and your speech is clear, English speakers will understand you. What you can do is train your ears to different accents by listening to international news channels and interviews.
During the call
- Write down the interviewer's name. If you cannot catch it, ask him to spell it. You will need it for a thank-you note.
- If there is more than one interviewer, note each name and which question came from whom.
- Take keyword notes, not full sentences. If the question is "What are your strengths?" just write "Strengths?". It keeps your mind from drifting.
- Let him finish his question before you start.
- Be brief. There is no time for long speeches.
- If you need time to think, say so. "Let me think for a moment" is fine. Silence for more than five to seven seconds is not.
- If you have typed answers, do not read them like a speech. Make your tone sound natural.
- If the line is bad, tell him immediately and ask for another line or another time.
Leave salary talk for the face-to-face round if you can. If pressed, you can give a reasonable range and add that it is negotiable.
If the call comes without warning
This happens a lot. A call can come any time after you send your resume. So be ready. But if the call comes at a bad time, you may ask for half an hour. "I am in the middle of something important. Would it be possible for you to call after half an hour?" Do not take a call while eating or if you have just woken up. Use that half hour to collect your papers, drink some water and sit comfortably.
After the call
Review it at once while it is fresh. Note down which answers were weak. Send a short thank-you email. You can use it to clarify anything you did not say well. If you are not selected, do not assume you did badly. There may be budget or visa reasons, or the project may be delayed.
Practise this week
- Record yourself on your phone answering "Tell me about yourself" for two minutes.
- Listen to it. Are you rushing? Are you using fillers? Is it clear?
- Ask a friend to call you and conduct a short mock telephone interview, then tell you honestly where you lost him.
Do this twice and your confidence will go up. Your voice is your face on the phone. Look after it.
This is a section from my book Get That Dream Job, which has a full part on telephone interviews.
